I too know the plight of the financially challenged. My only income is social security and it is SO hard to eat healthy on a limited budget. I try, but it's like the odds are against us. I make a LOT of soup and, when it gets low, I add more things to it so it will stretch further. I don't have anyone to bring me food, but where I live we have someone come in and sign us all up for free vouchers for the local farmer's market in the summer months. I try to use coupons, but most of them seem to be for name brands....which I do like....but it's cheaper even with coupons to get the off brands.

I'm not really big on cooking large amounts and freezing them. I don't have that large a freezer to put that much in it.....so I end up eating soup for days and days and days and....well you get the idea. I would LOVE to eat salads, lots of fruit and things we should eat to be healthy, but that's too expensive too. Plus, with just me, it's hard to keep them fresh for very long....I have to eat them all up right away or they wilt or spoil....then I have the rest of the month with not much veggies.

I'd love to get more tips here on what to eat that's healthy AND cheap. (Do those two words actually go together???....I'm not sure they do.) When I had my house, I had a huge garden and could eat from that all summer, but that's in the past. If you hear of any good suggestions, let me know. I'd appreciate it very much. Sometimes I have a hard time navigating on this site at times because there's so many places to go.

Here's a laugh for you. I ran out of food AND money in June and had to go to a food bank and one of the things I received was a leg of lamb roast. So....I put it in the crock pot with some good seasonings and spices....then as it dwindled down, I kept on adding things to stretch it further....first a big bag of frozen peas....then some potatoes (even a sweet potato I had left)....then a can of chopped tomatoes and an onion. That good ole' pot of lamb is now still 3/4 of the way full. I'm running out of things to add to it though. But I was proud of making it stretch so far. I think I've been eating out of that one pot for the 4th day now.

:-) :-O

Be blessed and have a happy, safe 4th of July holiday. I'll probably watch the fireworks on TV, but I don't mind that much. My little dog likes them too....at a distance like TV. Not close where she can actually hear them.

Your new friend on SP, Shirley from Illinois

Some succeed because they are destined to, but most succeed because they are determined to.

I understand your plight, as I'm on social security disability. It isn't a lot of money, and the prices of groceries are out of this world!!! My parents help me out with all kinds of veggies from their garden, but that doesn't cut it! Because I have no transportation, at the moment, I have to rely on my friends and family, to take me to the store, or they will do the shopping for me. I try to stock up on some things, but it's really expensive!!!

Ladies, thanks for the advice on where to go, to check out meals for a person on a limited budget!!! I'm grateful for that bit of info.

We're all in this together, and I know that all of us can make the journey, successfully!!! Let's just continue to encourage each other and give some hints every now and then!!!

God bless all of you,

- Nancy Jean -

Philippians 4:13 1 Corinthians 10:31 Our job is just to show up and do our best, leaving the outcome to GOD!!!

It's so difficult to cook and eat well on a limited budget! I'm unemployed right now and struggling with that too. My favorites are good, old chicken and rice soup and chili, made from ground beef, canned beans and tomatoes. I make a big pot using whatever vegetables I have on hand and, after it cools, freeze the leftovers in snack-sized Ziploc bags. Makes it easier to microwave single servings.

You might find some recipes that you would like on the Living on a Dime website. They are on Facebook and you could "like" them. They have an entire section on recipes, and the foods are always staples. I have used them a lot.

First, coupons and food items all run in cycles. I realize your on a tight budget, but if you can save a little on your staple items.

Second, alot of meals will freeze well so you can enjoy them later. Not saying you have to make a huge batch to freeze, but if you make a normal recipe. Eat one, have one for leftover, and freeze a couple to use in a couple weeks.

Third, see if your community has a food bank that you can use since your on a limited income. Might be able to come up with staple items and canned vegetables.

Fourth, a garden maybe.

Sorry I'm not much help with the small recipes. My favorite single person meal that works for me is a veggie stir fry, just having the right seasonings on hand can turn a lot of nothing into something that has all my coworkers drooling.

Hi there... 1. Location: Historical town of Alton, Illinois on the Mississippi River 2. Is this where I am from? Yes 3.Married? Divorced 4. Kids ? 2 grown, 6 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren 5. Animals ? My darling Missy is almost 2 years old and is a mini schnauzer/shih zhu mix. 6. Hobbies, interests - reading, going on walks with my dog, watching movies, dancing and working out with my Wii, computer games...I used to sew and crochet, but don't do that much anymore. 7. How long a member of spark? - long time....I'm not really sure, but am embarrassed to say I forget to come here. 8. How many are you cooking for? - Just me. 9. How can the team help in supporting and aiding you in meeting your goals?

I love to cook, but get tired of fixing the same old things all the time. I have a VERY tight food budget ($100 a month) and get SO confused and overwhelmed when it comes to meal planning for one. When I do a Google search on this, I get fancy recipes and complicated dishes that I don't want to fix and often they have things I don't keep on hand all the time...so that makes it more expensive. I would like simple things to eat that are healthy and can be fit into a very tight budget. Do the two go together? (healthy and inexpensive?) Any suggestions out there? Thanks ya' all.

Some succeed because they are destined to, but most succeed because they are determined to.

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